A move to the ACC could bring all Penn Staters together

If Penn State were to move to the ACC, Pitt would be an in-conference rival. AP PHOTOMichael Sedor, PennLive.com

Penn State's leadership is, well to be polite, not thought of in a fond manner by a large segment of alumni and fans of the football program. The administration has spent millions of dollars, hired public relations companies, and have repeated their default phrase of “moving forward” whenever they are given the opportunity.

Yet with nearly every action, nearly every word by BOTched President Karen Peetz and University President Hot Rod Erickson, the anger level towards this bunch cranks to 11 for many Penn Staters. It also has not changed the opinion of those that reside in the Penn State hate camp.

Another area that has the ire of the same group of alumni and fans is the conference their athletic teams call home. The video replay debacle in Lincoln, Neb. has emboldened the move to leave the Big Ten and relocate to the Atlantic Coast Conference. The call is the latest in long list of slights, some real and some perceived, against Penn State. The attempt to rescind the invitation to join the Big Ten in the 1990s, the delay in integrating Penn State into conference play, etc, etc, etc.

Assuming that the ACC would be interested in having Penn State as a member (and the millions and millions of TV sets that come along with the Nittany Lions) it does open up some interesting possibilities

With the large divide between the Penn State base and its leadership, I think I have a solution that could bring everyone closer together, maybe we can even be “One Team.” A move to the ACC that is openly led by Peetz, Erickson, and company would repair some of the credibility of the Penn State administration that is now lacking, rid the unwanted step child status as a Big Ten member that has been festering since 1990, puts the athletic program in a place that re-establishes historic rivalries, and gives the fanbase some great road trip options.

Peetz would be able to shed her Cruella Deville or for a current television analogy Victoria Grayson of Revenge persona. No longer will the 3 minute egg timer be the unofficial logo of the BOTched. She will have proven she actually listened to Penn Staters and actually accomplished something that was indeed in the best interest of the university. Speaking of “the best interest of the university,” Mr Best Interest" himself John Surma, the Scut Farkus, of this saga... well his image might be beyond repair. The same goes for Farkus' Grover Dill - Keith Masser.

Erickson can leave his tumultuous reign over Penn State on a high note, he might even gain a positive legacy. The big winner if such action were to occur would be athletic director David Joyner. Yes, he was a BOTched member who fired Joe Paterno, yes he gained financially security by accepting his current role with Penn State, but he also was part of the effort that led to the hiring of football coach Bill O'Brien. A move to the ACC would be two huge wins for the former Nittany Lion football player.

A harmonious relation between the administration and the rest of Nittany Nation, it would be larger then cats and dogs living together. All this can be Penn State's and it is an idea that did not result in a multi-million dollar bill from a consulting firm.